Into Another Story
by KunoichiKitsune
Summary: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow enter the Medieval Ages by Merlina, a sorceress of the realm. King Arthur is corrupted and became the tyrannical Black Knight. With inexperience and the Knights of the Round Table against them, will they be able stop him?
1. Storytime

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not Sonic the Hedgehog and friends (c) Sega/Sonic Team. This isn't confirmed information about Sonic and the Black Knight. After hearing about this game, I decided to pour in my own ideas.

--

It was a peaceful night on Mobius. Sonic happened to invite his friends, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow, over at his small home. The crimson echidna was warming up by the fireplace. The dark hedgehog glared outside the window, pondering why he came in the first place. Sonic was clamly relaxing on the couch, tired from 'entertaining' his guests.

"Hey, Sonic!" The young fox yelled from the bookcase. The blue hero rose up from the couch, seeing what the excitement was about. Tails took off with a book in hand. "Could you read this for me tonight?"

"Aren't you a little old for stories?" Knuckles said with a light chuckle.

"Let the kid have his story, then we don't have to worry about him unable to sleep tonight." Shadow retorted, avoiding eye contact with the rest.

"Alright, little buddy." Sonic dusted off the book and messed with Tails' bangs as he sat beside him. _The Medival Ages, huh?_, Sonc thought to himself as he read the title. _Why do I feel as though-_ The blue hedgehog was interrupted as soon he opened the aged book.

In a second, one-by-one, Sonic and friends were sucked into a vortex. The reluctant winds resided and retreated back into the book, closing its cover once more.

_"Not this again..."_

--

KK: I know it's short, but what did you expect? Don't worry, I'll try to update every now and then. I'm not exactly good at typing fanfics, but try to appreciate it.


	2. Knights

"Sonic?" A small, concerned voice shook. "Sonic! Wake up!"

Another, yet rough, voice spoke, "I bet'cha he's dead..."

"You know it'll take more than that to bring down Sonic." A third voice intervened.

The smallest figure, owner of the concerned voice, placed his hands over Sonic's shoulders. "C'mon, buddy. Wake up!" The figure shook him lightly, worried about his closest friend.

The carefree hedgehog woke with a start, relieved to see his three friends. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys!" Sonic stood up and dusted himself before observing his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"You tell me, Faker!" Shadow growled. "You're the one who opened that book in the first place."

"You think I would know if a book would send us into, who-knows-where?" Sonic snapped back, hoping to start a fight with the other hedgehog.

_Please, there's no need to fight. I am the one who brought you here. _As gusty whirlwind blew past the hedgehogs, a young girl sat on top of an old-fashioned broom. "I'm Merlina, sorceress of this realm. I brought you here in hopes that you'll help us."

"Help... us?" Knuckles tilted his head, confused.

"Well, you see...," Merlina started. "Our beloved King Arthur has been corrupted and became the dreaded tyrant known as the Black Knight." She hopped off her broom and looked away from the newcomers. "This mystical realm is falling apart under his rule. The people here are suffering. That's why I sent you here from your world."

The mechanical genius pushed through the other three. "You want us to snap the king back into his senses and restore order through the land? Sounds easy enough."

"Wait...," Merlina pointed out. "No one was able to get close to him because of his undefeated champion, Sir Lancelot."

"Lancelot? You mean the 1st Knight of the Round Table, Lancelot?" Tails turned to his blue friend. "Sonic, we don't stand a chance against The King's most trusted knight."

"You're right, little buddy." Sonic turned towards the sorceress. "How will be able to stand up to them?"

Merlina smiled. "Don't worry about it. I already have a teacher for you." She closed her eyes and twirled her hands. The sorceress reopened her eyes and an ancient-looking sword appeared in the heroic hedgehog's hands.

Sonic stared at the recently received sword to Merlina and to the sword again. "It's a nice sword and all, but you said you already had a teacher for me."

_I am your teacher, hedgehog._

"Gah!" Sonic instantly dropped the relic in response.

_Watch where you drop me..._, the sword spoke again. _I'm not a toy. _

The blue hedgehog cautiously raised his future mentor. "Who are you exactly?"

_I am Calibur, ancient sword of legends. My former wielder was invincible with me at his hands. Unfortunately, he saw me obsolete as his rise to power grew._

"You mean-"

Calibur interrupted, _Yes, King Arthur himself was my former wielder. He threw me away. Luckily, Merlina was able to find me and hold onto me for safekeeping._

"What about us?" The youngest member questioned.

"If we're gonna help Sonic, we'll need to learn as well." The Guardian added.

"Take this first." Merlina said as she passed bundles of clothes and armor to the others. "It'll help you blend in when we enter the town."

"Wait..." The anti-hero butted in after receiving his bundle. "We're going into town now?"

"Yes, so I recommend you wear those now."

_So, we're heading into town now, huh?_, Sonic thought. _We just need_ _defeat Lancelot to get to King Arthur. Once there, we'll have to defeat him to end his tyrannical rule. It couldn't be that bad, could it?_

"Umm, Sonic?" The young fox was tugging his arm. "You ok? You haven't said anything in a while."

"I'm fine, Tails. This just seems a little to familiar to me."

"How so?"

"Well, I had a sudden cold when reading a storybook, _The Arabian Nights_. I found a ring right besides the book where it happens to hold a genie inside. Her name was Shahra; she wanted me recover the stories that were being erased by another evil genie known as the Erazor Djinn. With that happening, I was sucked into the book to get rid of him and restore the stories to their original state."

"That explains why Tails and I couldn't find you during our visit." The echidna claimed.

"Here, I'll take you to the front gates." Merlina insisted. The young witch surrounded the group in a smal veil before reappearing before a great drawbridge. "Oh good, the drawbridge is down. Some of the Knights just rode off."

"Knights?" Sonic looked at her, puzzled.

"The Knights of the Round Table." Tails tackled the subject again. "The thirteen knights of Camelot. Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Geraint, Sir Gareth, Sir Galahad, Sir Gaheris, Sir Bors, Sir Bedivere, Sir Kay, Sir Lamorak, Sir Percival, Sir Tristram and King Arthur himself."

"You're right about that one, little fox." Merlina replied. "However, three of those knights went missing and were never heard of again." She glanced at Shadow, "Sir Geraint; he set out on a journey to prove his valor and strength. He was an extraordinary knight slaughtering many in his path, yet nearly killed himself." Her gaze shifted to Knuckles, "Sir Lamorak; he joined the Round Table despite the bloodfeud he had with Sir Gawain, Sir Gareth, and Sir Gaheris. He was also known for his fiery temper and strength." Finally, her eyes met Tails, "Sir Tristram; he was very intelligent and calculating. His aim with a bow and arrow were flawless. So flawless, he was able to shoot a flying hawk in between the eyes."

Shadow, Knuckles and Tails traded expressions, realizing their connection with the missing Knights.

"C'mon guys!" Sonic broke through the silence. "We better head in there before the drawbridge rises again. Oh, one more thing." The blue hedgehog turned to his friends. "Keep in mind that our friends and enemies aren't exactly who they formerly were." His friends nodded and dashed in after him as the drawbridge rose from behind.


	3. Confusion

Sonic and friends' first order of business: stock up and weaponry.

Merlina escorted the newcomers to the nearest armory, hoping the place provided their needs. The fox prodigy was observing the diferent kinds of bows to go along with the quiver of arrows he already thought were best suited for him. The knuckle headed echidna was having difficulty deciding which of the two swords to take along. The shady hedgehog kept his eyes on one particular broadsword.

"You have a good eye, sir."

Shadow turned his head only to see the shopkeeper. "Really?"

"Why, yes. This broadsword used to belong to one of the Knights, Sir Geraint. He dropped off his sword here for safekeeping. I haven't seen him for quite some time."

"Well, umm..." Shadow hesitated, remembering the connection given by Merlina. "You don't have to wait any longer. I'm Sir Geraint, and I'm here to take back my broadsword."

The merchant adjusted his glasses. "Are you, now?" He started to examine the hedgehog then focused on his eyes. Shadow had to slighty pull his head back and nearly backed away from him. The shopkeep backed up from Shadow and adjusted his glasses again. "The valor in your eyes. My, it's an honor to have you back, Sir Geraint." He bowed and handed the broadsword over to Shadow afterwards. "It was a pleasure to have you here. Shall I tell everyone about your return? They were quite worried after your rumored disappearance."

"No, not yet," The dark hedgehog hesitated again. "There's alot going on right now. If everyone knew I returned, it'll probably just burden me more."

"Yes, of course. You're welcome here anytime, Sir Geraint. Anything you need, free of charge."

Shadow nodded as he headed for the front door, where the rest were waiting on the other side.

_About time_, Cailbur exclaimed. _You took much longer than the redhead who just had to take both swords he wanted. _Knuckles couldn't help but glare towards the relic, seeing he had four swords.

"Well..." He started, yet shifted his view to Merlina. "That connection from earlier. The one about me and Sir Geraint. Were you sure about it?"

The witch smiled. "Of course. I've met and known the Knights of the Round Table for a while now."

_Don't tell me you got that broadsword for saying your that missing knight?_

"Hmph," Shadow grunted. "Okay, I won't tell you."

There was a loud, sudden echo that rang through the village. Merlina looked up seeing a bell hung upon, what seems to be, a watchtower. "The bell..." She gazed towards the furture knights. "Hurry, hide! The King is coming this way."

As the band quickly hid themselves in between a close alleyway, a large silhouette, accompanied by another one half its size, paced through the empty street. Villagers, trembling in fear, are stunned by this appearance; a heavily armored warrior in dark armor. No one other than King Arthur, otherwise now known as the Black Knight. Alongside him, it was a knight, but isn't human. His golden eyes seem to pierce through the bleak appearance, yet his sterling fur kept him hidden even if partily covered in his bright armor.

"Hey! Isn't that-" The echidna shouted, only to have his mouth muffled.

The knight halted and turned to the direction of the sound. He scanned the area for anything that would've caused the noise, but nothing in response. The armored king saw his most trusted knight stop and questioned the situation. "Is there something wrong, Lancelot?"

"It's nothing, my lord." He replied as he turned and strolled on besides the king. Moments later, the both of them were out of sight, vanished to the castle.

The group sighed in relief, releasing their hands from Knuckles' mouth. _We almost got caught because of you, echidna._

"B-But," Knuckles stammered. "Wasn't that Silver? Why is helping out that tyrant?"

_No_, Cailbur clairfied. _That was Sir Lancelot, King Arthur's champion and 1st Knight of the Round Table._

"He looked exactly like Silver! How could he be Lancelot if he's Silver?"

Sonic couldn't help, but shake his head in denial. "Didn't you hear me before we went into town, Knucklehead?"

_Keep in mind that our friends and enemies aren't exactly who they formerly were._

The redhead echidna rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "Oh, right. I forgot about that." Knuckles shifted his gaze back at Sonic. "How do you know about this, Sonic? About our friends not being themselves?"

The blue hedgehog sighed, despising the fact he had to explain. "I've already told about the time I was sucked into another book, right?" His three companions nodded, listening in on what he had to say. "Anyways, I was supposed to find King Shahryar before Erazor did. When I got there, I had to help the guy out, but he looked like Eggman. Just when I thought it was another scheme, Shahra insisted it was the king." Sonic sighed again. "That's when Ali Baba and Sinbad came," he paused, pointing to the echidna and fox. "They looked like you two and helped me out, but they didn't give me that same feeling when you two help me out."

_That would explain why you were so jumpy when Lancelot passed through._

"You four aren't from here, are you?"

The gang twirled around, noticing a cloaked figure among them, assuming whoever was hiding in the alley for some time. It seemed human, but the hood covered much of the figure's face confirm this.

"Did you... heard everything we said?"

The cloaked figure nodded. "I apologize. I couldn't help but listen since you were so close by."

Merlina's eyes widened; she recognized the figure's voice. "Guinevere? Lady Guinevere, is that you?"

"Please," she had her finger over her mouth. "Keep your voice down, Merlina. I have a favor to ask of you."

"What's wrong? What could we do?"

Guinevere turned away from the group. "I need you to stop Arthur's rule, but I'm gonna need Lancelot's help as well."

Hearing 'Lancelot' made Tails jump, "How could we get his help if the Knight's first priority is to serve the king?"

"That's one problem. Lancelot understands the situation, but as a Knight of the Round Table, he swore his loyalty to Arthur. He's... confused." She faced the group. "That's why I need your help. I need you to set things straight for him."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. If anyone else knew I sent you to oppose Arthur, I would be accused of treason and executed on the spot." Guinevere turned around, her back facing the group, and slowly wandered into the darkness of the alleyway. "I beg you. Restore this land to its once former glory."

Sonic swung Calibur behind him and rose to his feet. "C'mon, guys. We have a job to do."


	4. Inner Conflict

King Arthur and Lancelot entered into the impenetrable fortress, pacing through the dim hallways. As they both turned around a corner, another knight, much taller and bigger than Lancelot, was waiting besides the door leading to the Round Table. "Your Highness, you've returned." He bowed and glared at the silver knight while his head was down. _And, of course, you've returned, Lancelot. _

"Gawain," Arthur's voice boomed from his helmet. "Have you gathered up the other Knights as I ordered?"

"Why, yes. We've been waiting patiently for you, Your Highness." Gawain opened the door as they proceeded in and took their corresponding seats. At the moment Arthur, Lancelot and Gawain sat, they along with the other Knights placed their swords on top of the Round Table, symbolizing their loyalty to the king himself. The Knights themselves, like Lancelot, weren't human.

"Reports." Arthur commanded as he turned his gaze. "Starting with you, Bedivere."

The marshal adjusted his thin-layered vest before speaking. Though he was a Knight and the marshal, his appearance yelled 'Thief'. "I was on patrol around the town, sire. Currently, there's no sign of resistance coming from the townsfolk."

Another Knight, Sir Kay, couldn't help but snicker. "As if there's gonna be a resistance, Bedivere. The pheasants fear us. They have a better chance looking for food off the streets. It's sad that most people can't even get past the bridge."

"Anyone else want to add in? Gareth? Galahad? Gaheris? Bors? Pericval?" Arthur asked the following Knights, but all shook their heads in response. "What about you, Gawain?"

"I have nothing, my lord." The large knight stated. "Other than the fact that witch woman is still running loose somewhere. What was her name again?"

"Ah, Merlina." The tyrant answered. "Not like her magic could do her any good. She is powerless before me."

"I'm sure she's up to something if she hasn't shown up for this long." Lancelot added out of the blue.

Gawain rose from his spot and snapped, "What do you know? I bet you're helping that witch!"

"You're just mad that you aren't the king's champion or 1st Knight."

Lancelot and Gawain glared eye-to-eye until the both of them chose to raise their swords at each other's throats. Bors and Gaheris jumped in to stop the rivaling Knights; Lancelot calmed himself as soon as Bors got to him, yet Gawain, however, tried to struggle out of Gaheris' hold, hoping to give Lancelot some sort of injury when this was over.

"Enough!" Arthur's voice boomed again, attracting the attention of all the Knights. "Dismissed, for now." Each of the Knights, except Lancelot and Gawain, took their swords off the Table and sheath them as they left.

Lancelot immediately headed straight for the watchtower, the only place he thought could calm him. As he peered down from above, his mind was lost in thought. _As a Knight of the Round Table, my sword, my loyalty, and my life belong to the king. Tyrant or not, he's our first priority. _He turned away from the edge. _But, he's terrorizing the townsfolk, mercilessly eliminating all who opposed him. Slowly, this world is turning into a barren wasteland. _He looked back down and closed his eyes. _I wonder how Guinevere is doing._

"I assumed you were here."

Lancelot nearly jumped. As he turned to face whoever, he expected for an attack, most likely coming from Gawain. He sighed in relief. It was Sir Bors, his most trusted advisor, whose appearance looks somewhat like a darker Shadow. "Any sign of her?"

Bors shook his head in reply. "No, unfortunately. I searched in every nook and cranny of this town. It's as though she left."

"It's impossible to leave with the drawbridge up. If I know her well enough, she's probably requesting for help."

"Alongside the sorceress?"

"Maybe, who knows?" Lancelot shrugged. "But, if she gets caught, she's a goner. Treason and execution."

"I am aware of that." Bors said while walking down the staircase that led to the watchtower.

"Be sure to inform Bedivere about the situation, as well. I'm sure the marshal will help us during his patrol."

Gawain and Gaheris walked their way through the hallways and out to the courtyard, with Gawain growling the whole way. Gaheris, whose fur and eye color are inversed compared to Sonic, lazily slouched on a nearby bench. "Calm down already."

Gawain still growled. "That Lancelot; he thinks he has everything. _Every Knight in the Round Table are considered equal._ Lies! I can't get a scratch on the guy!"

"He is the King's champion, afterall. No one, except for the king, has been able to defeat him."

"There has to be some way to break him. Some sort of weakness. Where he'll have no choice to but to surrender." Gawain paced back and forth, then turned to his squire. "Ready to seek out Lady Guinevere?"

Gaheris grinned, fangs revealed in his crooked smile. "I'm sure gonna like where this is going."

--

KK: I'm aware this chapter is shorter than the pervious two, but ran out of ideas at this point (not the end of the fic yet, don't worry). Seeing that school is back (and the fact I survived Hurricane Ike), it may take me some time to update.


	5. Gaining Allies

Sonic and friends find themselves in an worn out warehouse, thanks to Merlina. The place seems as though it's been recently abandoned for quite a while, seeing there isn't much dust or cobwebs around. They safely assumed the warehouse formerly was used store new or discarded weaponry. "Sorry about this, guys. I'll get right on it." She said while starting to tidy up the warehouse.

"You're telling me we're staying here?" Shadow said displeased.

_With the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table out there, do we have any choice?_

"Are you sure we're safe here, Merlina?" The yellow fox wondered.

"I'm sure-" Merlina was interrupted as soon as the the front door opened. It was the group's cue to hide near some leftover storage boxes. Who entered were a marshal and an advisor, better known as Sir Bedivere and Sir Bors. Shadow nearly leaped from his spot towards Lancelot's advisor, but got himself pinned down and mouth covered by his counterpart. Knuckles and Tails silently rushed over to support their hedgehog friend.

"I'm telling you. There's nothing here. This place is abandoned for a reason, you know." The marshal spoke while adjusting his thin vest.

"It doesn't hurt to check the place out. Gawain is up to something, and you know it. That's why we have to find Guinevere before he does."

"Look, Bors. You said you searched 'every nook and cranny' of the vicinity, and I patrol the town day and night. What makes you think she'll hide here?"

Lancelot's advisor sighed. "I guess you're right."

In the moment both Bors and Bedivere turned their backs, Tails' nose began to twitch from the dust. "Ah... AHH-CHOO!!" His sneeze caused himself to be lightly lifted off the ground, releasing his hold on the angsty hedgehog. Shadow shoved the trio away and drew with his broadsword. He charged towards Bors at full speed and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"MEPHILES!!"

"Geraint?" Confused, Bors drew his sword and struggled to push back Shadow. "Anytime now, Bedivere!" He called to the marshal. Bedivere came drawing his sword, approaching to the aid of his fellow Knight. He felt a jolt of pain coming from his sword hand. The marshal dropped his sword and took a look at his hand, bleeding from a clean shot of an arrow. He turned to the direction where he assumed where the arrow was shot from. Tails, on top of a pile of storage boxes, took another arrow from his quiver while the battle-hungry echidna charged towards both Knights, swords brandished in each hand.

_First, Geraint appears._ Bedivere said mentally. _Now, Tristram and Lamorak? Those three haven't been heard from since the king's 'change'. What have they been doing this whole time?_ He hardly avoided swings from the echidna due to his injured hand. Bedivere managed to grasp his sword to block one of the incoming swings from Knuckles, shattering both swords. As the echidna reached for another sword, Bedivere yanked the arrow and embedded it into Knuckles' shoulder. The technical prodigy loaded another arrow into his bow. As he pulled farther back on the bow's string, his nose twitched again from the dust. "AHH-CHOO!!" The sneeze caused him to fumble back and release his grip on the arrow, causing a misfire that struck Shadow past the ear. Shadow had the nerve to turn around and yell at the fox until he was hindered by the hilt of Bors' sword. The band of three fell close to each other as the two Knights approached them, Bors ready to give the final blow.

"Wait!" The blue hedgehog leapt in front of his friends, holding Calibur in a defensive postition. "You got this all wrong! We're not the enemy!"

The advisor slightly lowered his sword. "Your friend there decided to pick a fight with me, Sir Bors, 7th Knight of the Round Table." The darker hedgehog growled and attempted to charge towards his look-alike, only to be held back by Tails and Knuckles. "It's my duty to get rid of all threats."

"Bors? Bedivere? Is it you?"

The two Knights faced the direction of the somewhat familiar voice. "Who's out there?" Bors wondered as he raised his sword again.

"It's me." A small gust of wind blew past as a witch appeared on top of her broom. "Don't you remember me?"

"Who are-"

"Merlina?" Bedivere interrupted. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry. I just had to call for help in our current situation."

The two Knights and the newcomers sat around the freshly made fire in the warehouse, as Merlina was tending to their wounds. Both sides told their stories, brought into a storybook and the King's tyranny. It took some time to understand either story, as well as getting along.

_So, Lancelot wasn't the only one who realized Arthur became different._

"Of course. As the village marshal, I try to keep order while under the King's command. But, he's been allowing me to do such drastic things in the past month. Executing anyone who resists, steals, and anything of the sort. Something had to be wrong if he's allowing me to do such trouble."

"I didn't believe Lancelot at first." Bors added. "Seeing how he's having a hard time with himself, who wouldn't? Not his advisor that's for sure."

"This is bad, Sonic." The fox perked up. "Not only does King Arhur has great power, we still have to get through Lancelot."

"That's not necessarily true," Bedivere claimed. "Lancelot isn't sure what to do; help us or stick with his chivalry. He's... confused."

"That's exactly what Guinevere said." The blue hedgehog thought out loud.

Both Knights stared in unison, "You know Guinevere?"

Sonic pulled his head back as the two Knights stared. "Y-yeah, we met yesterday actually. She was hiding with us in an alleyway when Arthur and Lancelot came."

Bedivere snapped his fingers with a disgusted face. "Shoot, my shift had to end by a gathering." He sighed. "Anyways, excluding Lancelot, Bors and myself, there are still six Kinghts of the Round Table left. Perhaps, Gareth and Galahad could help out, as well. I'm sure oppostition is on their minds right now, seeing how they want to end this tyranny."

"You two should rest up here." The echida suggested. "Our little 'greeting' wasn't exactly welcoming."

"I'm not sure. We might get called in again."

Bors turned to the marshal. "I doubt it. With the King's current mood, I'm sure he won't be pleased to see our faces."

Bedivere stood with his hand extended to Sonic. "How's about a deal, hedgehog? We'll keep you hidden from the king while you cover us and end his reign."

"Of course. We'll handle it from here." The blue hedgehog hesitantly shook the marshal's hand. _It's kinda funny when you meet familiar people in another world._ He thought. _Like teaming up will Mephiles, the person who 'killed' me, and my own brother, Manic._

--

KK: Here ya go. There's two more Knights of the Round Table revealed for all. To think it was already hard enough to describe them without giving them away so easily. For those who don't know who Manic is, yes, he is Sonic's younger brother from an old TV series called 'Sonic Underground'.


	6. Chivalry?

Gaheris throughtly scanned every section of the town only to result in nothing in return. Disappointed, he turned back to the castle courtyard where the much bulkier knight was awaiting him.

"Any luck finding her?"

"No luck, Gawain." The squire replied calmly. "She's nowhere in sight. I did search in the most likely places, but still nothing."

Gawain couldn't help but growl again. "She has to be somewhere! It's not like could vanish-"

"Hey, Gawain!" The large knight was interrupted as a younger and smaller Knight appeared. "What are you up to this time?"

Gawain turned about and nearly snapped at the eavesdropper. "Percival, now's not the time for you to be showing up." He left out a long sigh, hoping to lower his temper. "Why are you here?"

"Where's Bors?" The kid Knight started. "Lancelot has been calling him for quite some time, and it's really getting on my nerves."

"Actually," Gaheris joined in. "I haven't seen him since Bedivere took him along in his patrol."

"Bedivere? And Bors is with him?" Gawain questioned as he paced to and fro. "I just knew it! Those double-crossers!" The 2nd Knight attempted to charge out of the courtyard to find the two 'missing' Knights, only to be pulled back by the other Knights in his company.

"Can't you control yourself for 5 minutes?" Gaheris yelled while struggling to pull Gawain back.

"What's going on down here? I can hear you from the watchtower!"

The two smaller Knights released their grip on Gawain, who fumbled into the stone pathway face first. He immediately stood on his feet, attempting to hide the embarrassment. "What brings you here, Lancelot?" The three greeted in unison, bowing their heads low towards the 'respected' Knight.

"I've been calling Bors all day, and I haven't got an answer. Have you seen him around?"

The three huddled up with fiendish grins on their faces.

"You see, Lancelot," Gawain began confidently. "From what I heard, Bors is planning to overthrow the king."

"Hmph!" The 1st Knight snorted. "Impossible. He wouldn't dare do such a thing. My advisor? A Knight of the Round Table opposing the King? That's preposterous."

The 2nd Knight turned to the other Knights with him, signaling to join in. "Don't you believe me, Lancelot? A fellow Knight?"

"Why else has he been acting so strange?" Gaheris added. "Too strange, even for you."

"Yeah, yeah! Bedivere has teamed up with him, too!" Percival exclaimed.

"Bors? And Bedivere? Against the King?" Lancelot, somehow, couldn't place these in an equation. _Two fellow Knights of the Round Table? Against the King? Our first priority? Breaking the code of chivalry? That... can't be right._

Gawain inched closer to Lancelot, whispering in his ear. "C'mon Lancelot, we both know opposing the King is a crime. Search them out; they deserve to be punished."

"But, I-"

"Don't tell me that you, Lancelot, 1st Knight of the Round Table and King's Arthur's champion, are against him as well?"

"N-no... I would never-"

"Then, find Bors and Bedivere. Teach those two what happens when you challenge the King's power."

Lancelot swiftly drew his sword, pointing its tip towards the horizon. "Knight or not. Those who oppose the King shall perish in my hands."

--

KK: Gah, really short chappie. I'm out of ideas at the moment... again. School is taking too much of my free time. Next update will probably be soon.


	7. Hidden Potential

Sonic and his gang, along with his two newly acquired 'friends', became a bit more laid-back since their unexpected encounter. 7th and 8th Knights, Bors and Bedivere, were secretly discussing their ideal plan among each another as the rest attended to their own business. The young aviator fell asleep on a pile of storage boxes. Shadow watched as the echidna was (shamefully) practicing with his dual swords. As for the blue blur, he was calm yet worried.

_Is there something wrong? _Calibur asked his wielder.

Sonic sighed. "I guess I'm little homesick. It's not everyday where get sucked into another world." He glanced at the two Knights before speaking again. "I'm not sure if we're ready yet."

_There's still penty of time to think about your decisions._

"GAH!" Knuckles screeched as one of his swords went flying into the air and nearly cut the tip of his tail. The Ultimate Lifeform couldn't stand how the echidna was training himself. He raised the sword embedded near Knuckles' tail then examined it. Shadow was a 'specialist', not to mention he was formerly a government weapon.

"You're going it all wrong, Knucklehead."

The Guardian reddened to the point where the fur color on his face was a different tone than the rest of his body (since nobody calls him Knucklehead and gets away with it). "Well, sorry," he mocked. "Do you expect me, the Guardian of the Master Emerald, who lived on a floating island for most of their life, to know anything about swordsplay or weaponry?"

Shadow understood or else otherwise he'd be disgusted. "Fine... come at me."

Before Knuckles had the chance to draw another sword, he got interrupted by Shadow's disapproval.

"Put that away."

"Huh?"

"It'll be alot easier for you to start with one... assuming that you aren't ambidextrous." The echinda tilted his head, confused from the hedgehog's last word. The anti-hero heaved a heavy sigh towards the echidna's ignorance. "Two-handed, Knucklehead. Two-handed. Now, put the other sword away, come at me so I could help you."

Knuckles reddened his face again and charged towards the shadey hedgehog. "Who are you calling Knucklehead?!"

Shadow blocked the charge with the sword he had picked up, shoved the echidna and sweeped his legs. He fell back head first, dazed from the blow. "This is gonna be a long day."

Merlina, on top of her broom, hovered over the two Knights. "How's the progress?"

The marshal and advisor looked at each other before Bedivere spoke for the both of them. "As you can see, not only that we're hiding from the King himself, we're wondering if anyone else would join the cause."

"Speaking of anyone else, are you two the only ones that know about this warehouse?"

"Well, there's me, Bors and-"

The front doors suddenly flew open as another Knight of the Round Table shone from the sunlight behind him. Tails awoke with a jump, falling between the pile of storage boxes he used as a bed. "I thought I'd find you traitors here!"

Bedivere tried not to make eye contact with the rest. "-...Lancelot."

"I'll handle him, guys!" Sonic exclaimed as he picked Calibur up. "So, I finally get to meet you in person, Lancelot. You don't look so tough."

The 1st Knight growled in digust. "How dare you address me with such familiarity! That's SIR Lancelot to you, pheasant!!!" The enraged Lancelot drew his sword while charging at the blue hedgehog.

"Pheasant?" Sonic shook his head. "You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

Lancelot roared out a battlecry as he moved his sword to a thrusting position. _That hedgehog is as good as mine!_, he thought. A smirk grew upon his face as he thrusted his sword at the distracted hero.

"Talk about horrible timing."

"Wh-what!?" What Lancelot didn't realize his sword was embedded into the wall. "How were you-"

"That's easy," Sonic interrupted. "It'll that alot more than that to catch up with my speed!"

_Speed? There's nothing alive that is capable of running that fast. Th-this has to be some kind of trick. There's no other explaination. _"You're lying!"

"Sorry, pal. Lying isn't my thing." Sonic planted Calibur into the ground before dashing towards the 1st Knight. But instead of his usual spin dash, the blue blur dashed around, making Lancelot hard to keep up. Lancelot tried to keep his eyes on him, however, this was enough to make him stumble to the ground. Sonic stopped in his tracks and walked up to the fallen Knight. "As you can see, I'm the real deal."

Lancelot lied there, deep in thought. _Impossible... Me, Lancelot, defeated? But... no one can ever defeat me with the exception of the King himself._

The blue blur lightly kicked the 1st Knight. "Umm... hello? I'm pretty sure that shouldn't take you down so easily."

"Out of my way!!!" Lancelot sat up and pushed Sonic back with a hand. However, the heroic hedgehog was pushed back to the other side of the warehouse. The 1st Knight looked at his hand that pushed back the blue blur. _What sorcery is this?_

Sonic and his gang's eyes widened. The young prodigy, the last of his kind, and the Ultimate Lifeform huddled up next to Sonic. "Are you alright, Sonic?" Tails wondered.

"Don't worry about me, little buddy."

"That's something you don't see everyday," Shadow grunted. "Last I checked, knights don't know how to use telekinesis."

_You're right about that, Shadow...._

"Hey, Sonic," Knuckles came in. "You're spacing out on us, man. It's not like you."

"Sorry, Knux. It's just that..." The three huddled up even closer, concerned on what the blue hedgehog has to say. "When I was back in the _Arabian Nights_ book, Ali Baba and Sinbad didn't have your abilities." Sonic started while pointing to the fox and echidna. "Ali Baba wasn't able to fly nor was Sinbad able to break to the cage he was in. I'm having the feeling that this story is more interconnected to our world."

The dark hedgehog lifted his counterpart by his neck. "Are you you telling me that he has Silver's powers!?"

"Looks like it." Sonic said with a smirk. "I'm a bit surprised myself."

"I'll take it from here, Sonic!" Tails perked with excitement. "I doubt he could hit me when I'm shooting arrows at him."

The heroic hedgehog messed with the fox's bangs before he took oof on top of the storage boxes. "Just be careful, Tails!"

The young genius nodded as he pulled back his bow, aiming at Lancelot. He was mentally calculating the points where his arrows would hit. Satisfied, he let go of his grip of the bowstring, arrows heading for a direct hit towards the 1st Knight. _I got you now!_

Lancelot spotted the rain of arrows coming at him, ignoring his embedded sword. _I wonder..._ He held his hand out, facing the arrows and closed his eyes, concentrating. An aura appeared around his hand, then surrounding the arrows. He opened his eyes and forced back the arrows back at the archer-in-training.

"Tails!" His three companions yelled.

Tails sat there, frozen in fear. _What do I do now!? Somebody help me! _The youngest member of the band closed his eyes tightly. _Sonic!!!_

Before the blue hedgehog had the chance to act, the arrows bursted into flames before Tails. The aviator opened his eyes, assuming it was safe, and saw the ashes falling in front of him. "H-Huh? What happened?" He looked at the three other members, hoping they knew what happened. "Sonic? Knuckles? Shadow?" They all shook their heads in reply. "Then who-"

"Lancelot, why are you doing this?" Everyone within the warehouse searched around for the direction of the voice. Tails was the first to find out, right behind him. It was the very same cloaked figure from the alleyway, Lady Guinevere. Tails quickly scurried back to his group. Guinevere leaped and landed near Lancelot. "Are you here for me, too?"

"Actually, I was here to get rid of two traitors. But seeing that you're priority one at the moment, then yes." Lancelot reached his hand in the direction of his embedded sword and managed to yank it out. "Remove that cloak, Guinevere. I don't want it to get in the way."

Guinevere lightly chuckled. "Once a Knight of the Round Table, always a Knight, huh?" As soon as she removed her cloak, her hand that held it immediately lit and burnt her cloak into cinders.

The four outsiders widened their eyes to the fullest extent, in unison saying the name of a familiar friend...

"Blaze!?"

---

KK: Whoa, really long chappie, longer than I hoped to be. Such a pain to type, but was worth it. Yay, I'm on Thanksgiving break! Hopefully, this will be enough time to work on this fanfic.


	8. Meanwhile in Mobius

It's been a week since Sonic and his friends have vanished into the book, according to the Mobian calendar. The local residents were in panic that their famed hero went missing. Unfortunately, the Chaotix Detective Agency already had trouble with a case of their own; Dr. Eggman was been a bit too quiet since the disappearance of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow. It was up to another handful of a group to investigate, led by the infamous Amy Rose.

"Mmm... I wonder where Sonic could be?" She asked herself. "It's not like him to leave and not come back." Her worried expression suddenly turned into an enraged one. "Ooh... when I get my hands on him, I'll-"

"Amy, is there something wrong? Your face is red."

The pink hedgehog stopped and turned, not realizing a young rabbit accompanied with a red bow tie-wearing chao behind her. She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment before speaking, "Oh, Cream. I'm fine, just fine." She immediately changed the subject with a slight frown. "You haven't seen Sonic, have you?"

Cream shook her head. "I try to visit Tails today, but I haven't seen him or Mr. Sonic."

"Tails is missing, too?"

"It would seem so."

Amy drew out her tarot cards and set them in a certain formation. Three cards: past, present and future. "Alrighty," she thought to herself. "Is Sonic safe at the time being?" She flipped over the first card, the past: The Fool.

_Wild youthful optimism, carelessly charging into adventures without thought of the consequences and disaster is caused from spontaneous actions._

The pink hedgehog bit her lip while in deep thought, "Now that I think of it, he has been causing trouble when he's gone. Chaos, Shadow, Metal Sonic, all those enemies we fought, all due to his love for adventure." Amy shook her head and flipped the next card, the present: The Chariot.

_Courageous and triumphant in the face of danger, is rewarded and recognized from hard work for change, but relaxation lasts shortly._

"There it goes again," she thought, saddened. "Sonic is a praised hero around these parts and he never backs down without a fight. Then, everything comes one after another. Trouble comes very now and then, so I guess relaxation is out of the question." Amy, then, flipped the final card, the future: The Tower.

_Order collapses and all chaos breaks loose, common card when face-to-face with challenges and all uprisings will lead to a clearer understanding._

The love-struck hedgehog went pale after revealing the final card. "Amy?" The rabbit approached her, waving a hand in front of her face. "Are you sure you're not sick, Amy?"

"Let's give Eggman a visit. Maybe he knows where Sonic and Tails are." Amy slowly returned her three tarot cards into its case, skin tone regaining.

Cream nodded as she extended her hand to Amy. She flapped her ears, taking off to flight with her small Chao following from behind.

By the time Amy, Cream and Cheese arrived at Eggman's rundown base, two old friends were waiting in front of the gate, Rouge and E-123 Omega.

"Rouge! Omega! What are you doing here?!" The hedgehog yelled to the two.

"Well," the sly bat started. "I was gonna give ol' Knuckie a visit on Angel Island, but there was no sign of him."

"Mr. Knuckles is gone, too?" Cream asked, wanting a confirmation.

The bat raised an eyebrow. "Too?"

"Mr. Sonic and Tails have disappeared. And, we don't know where they are."

Amy turned to the large robot, "What about Shadow? Any news from him?"

_Unable to detect Chaos signature... Location unknown..._

"That makes four now: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow." She looked to the rusted gate then back to Omega. "Omega, could you bust open that door? We're wondering if he has information about them."

_Confirming permission from fellow GUN member..._

Rouge nodded her head. "She has a point, Omega. We might as well give ol' Eggy a visit."

_Affirmative._ Omega twisted one of his bulky arms in exchange for a machine gun revolver. He rapidly shot bullet shells at the door, causing it to collapse. Omega scanned the area within his sight. _Heat signature detected within 5 yards of vicinity. It must be Eggman._

As the four traversed inside, the majority of base was ruined: broken science instruments and torn machine parts everywhere. By the time they found Eggman, he was trapped inside one of his old cells. The scientific genius walked up to the cell, holding the bars. "Oh ho ho! Look who's come to visit me."

"This isn't the time, Eggman!" Amy said irritated as she whipped out her Piko-Piko Hammer. "Now, tell me where Sonic is!"

"I don't know where that blue fuzzball went. Can't you see I have my own predicament here!?"

"You mean... you don't know either?" Amy slowly lowered her Piko-Piko Hammer.

_Sensors indicate Eggman is sincere towards his response. Faint Chaos Energy detected within vicinity._

"I was holding on to a Chaos Emerald for safe keeping, but it's almost completely drained out." Eggman said as he revealed a dull colored Emerald.

_Sensors indicate unknown substance escaping vicinity._

"It must be Metal!"

"Metal? As in Metal Sonic?" The pink hedgehog asked. "I thought we finished him off months ago!"

"That's the problem. I tried to get Metal under control, yet he still refuses. That's why I have this Chaos Emerald here."

_There's a 50-50% chance that Metal Sonic plans to transform Mobius into a robotic kingdom as Metal Overlord._

"Don't jump into conclusions now, Omega." The scientist pointed out. "That or he wants revenge from Sonic."

"Why Sonic?!"

"Now, now, think about it." Eggman waved his finger. "After falling short several times, who would Metal go after? Me? Let me out and I'll help you stop Metal immediately."

"You win this time, Eggman, but I'm keeping my eye on you." Amy lifted her Piko-Piko Hammer and swung it towards the doctor's cell. "One wrong move and you'll going back in there."

"Omega, where is Metal?"

The E-series robot rotated his head several times, dim sensors glowing. _Analyzing... Metal Sonic is within 10 feet of current location..._

Rouge leaped in place, hovering herself with her wings. "Lead the way, Omega."

_Affirmative._

It wasn't very long for the group to find Metal. However, he was harder to recognize. Instead of seeing a robotic look-a-like of the famed hedgehog, it was a puddle of seems to be some sort of muck. Everyone within the group gathered behind the E-series robot, confused, disgusted.

"Eww... what is that... that thing?" Amy drew back in disgust.

_Analysis complete... Sensors indicate unknown liquid alloy ahead is Metal Sonic._

"That's Metal?!" The Mobians replied in shock.

"Unfortunately, yes." The scientist added, answering the recent question. "I tried to keep him under control with the Chaos Emerald, but I guess it wasn't enough. The energy from the Emerald must've caused his frame to collapse into what you see now."

_**~Flashback~**_

_Doctor Eggman, confronting Metal Sonic, held out a bright glowing Chaos Emerald in hand. "Metal! What's the big idea? After all I've done, you still plan to conquer Mobius and harm your creator?!"_

_**You serve no purpose to me... **__Metal Sonic glared eye-to-eye in his more developed form. __**Sonic is real enemy. He'll pay for my humiliation. Once he's gone, I'll build MY empire and be the most ultimate being alive!!! Not even the so-called 'Ultimate Lifeform' can stop me!!!**_

_"If Shadow doesn't stop you, I will, Metal!" Eggman extended his hand towards the direction of Metal Sonic. Chaos Emerald's light blinded each other's sight. As the light cleared away, it seems as though Metal Sonic's metallic frame was disintegrating._

_**What have you done to me?! **__Metal slithered away, enraged at his current form. __**I'll get you soon enough, Eggman... once I exterminate him...**_

_**~End Flashback~**_

One of Omega's arms twisted and shifted into a machine gun turret, firing his rounds towards the muck. However the more rounds he shot, the muck that was Metal Sonic somewhat grew. He then reverted his turret back into his bulky arm.

_**I appreciate the aid, Omega... **_Metal spoke as he grew ever so slightly while devouring a piece of scrap. _**It's futile, I will regain my form and rule Mobius... You no longer pose a threat to me...**_

The Mobians charged at Metal all they got, armed and ready. But due to his new frame, Metal easily avoid contact and slipped through a break in the floor. "He got away..." Amy spoke aloud. "We better find him and put an end to him." Everyone within the group nodded and headed out. _Sonic... I hope you're ok..._

Metal Sonic managed to escape and take refuge into a small home in the other side of Mobius. He caught notice of an open book in the middle of the room, near the fireplace. _**I sense his presence... I'll have my revenge, Sonic...**_ Metal then slid into the book's pages, entering the new world.

---

KK: Release date update! I'm back!!! First thing's first: the tarot card reading took some time (especially getting the right ones in the right order). Luckily, I have my own tarot card set, so it wouldn't have taken too much time. Metal Sonic will have some significance here in this fic. One last thing: I'm somewhat mad at SEGA for what they done for the game. I'm sorry... some things just doesn't fit.


	9. Choosing Sides

The battle between the two nobles raged on. As countless waves of psychic blasts and flames flew across the warehouse, the other bystanders had to duck for cover. Tails peaked over the storage boxes and ducked by quickly to avoid any hits.

"They're still going at it."

"We're gonna lose our only shelter at the rate." Knuckles looked over, fired up. "C'mon, let me at 'em!"

Sonic glanced the two other knights that were accompanying them, both watching in awe of their newly aquired abilities. "Aren't you two gonna help them? You're fellow Knights of the Round Table. Snap some sense into him!"

"This is his fight, not ours." Bors advised. "If we were to interfere, what honor is there left?"

"Besides," Bedivere added. "This not only a fight, but a test. How loyal is he before the king? Is he really willing to obey his every command? Is he willing to take responsibility for his actions?"

_They do have a point. The outcome will prove Lancelot's chivalry as a knight._

Sonic scratched the back of his ear. "Okay, if you say so."

Time eventually wore down Guinevere. As a noble, she didn't really have much experience as a fighter. The last wave sent by Lancelot exhausted her as she was forced back into a wall. The 1st Knight smirked as he approached her with his sword. He pointed its tip to her neck. "Any last words, Princess Guinevere?"

Guinevere stood silent and shook her head. She close her eyes as Lancelot raised his sword. Sonic couldn't take this in and almost charged in with Calibur brandished, but was stopped by Bors' arm in his path. "Wait..."

"How can I just sit here and watch Guinevere get killed!?"

"Trust me..." Bors insisted.

An echo of a clanging sword and a watchtower bell awoke Guinevere. Lancelot stood there before her, quaking entirely. As much as he wanted to 'execute' her, he couldn't. He did love her afterall. "Go..."

"Lancelot?"

"I said go... Don't worry about me." The King's champion glanced at the other bystanders. "Same with you."

"You heard him." Bedivere said. Everyone within the vicinity nodded and ran out, leaving nothing behind them.

Guinevere turned to Lancelot and embraced him. "Are you sure you will be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I promise." Lancelot smiled, holding her hand. "I'm only worried about you. Now, go."

"Alright, take care." Guinevere gave him a kiss on his cheek as a parting gift. She let loose of her grip and followed rest of the group. "Don't forget me, Lancelot."

The 1st Knight hesitantly felt his muzzle. "I... won't." He sheath his sword and rushed to the castle. He was late; The Round Table was completely full except for two spots. Lancelot placed his sword on the table before taking his seat.

The other knights glared at him for his tardiness. It's not like the 1st Knight to be late for a gathering. Every knight present bombarded him with various questions, yet he refused to answer any of them.

"Explain yourself, Lancelot." The armored king broke the scattered chattering. "Is there any reason why you're late to this gathering amongest your fellow knights?"

"I..." He started, recollecting the recent events. "...I had other business to take care of."

"Important enough to miss a gathering?"

"N-No, sire. I wasn't expecting the bell anytime soon. I haven't got a single clue where those three are."

King Arthur rose from his seat and held Lancelot around his neck. "You're lying to me!" The other Knights cowered at this sudden action, knowing the king's anger at work. "Tell me everything you know, now!"

"...Never..."

"Such futile resistance..." Arthur tightened his grip on Lancelot before throwing him down to the table, frame nearly shattered. The remaining six knights back away as far as they could, trembling as the punishment continued. Several beatings were given to him before raising Lancelot's now limp body. "I didn't expect that my most loyal knight, my champion, would do such a thing." He shifted his gaze towards the six. "All who oppose me shall feel my wrath, is that understood?" They all immediately nodded in agreement. "You two..." addressing Galahad and Gareth. "Come with me. Gawain, you are charge of annihilating all resistance."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The largest knight stood tall as the 1st knight was dragged away, smirking. "You heard him." The remaining three nodded and followed the 2nd knight as he left the table and stormed out of the castle.

Galahad and Gareth watched helplessly as King Arthur threw Lancelot into his cell, deep within the castle's interior. "You two keep an eye on him." He commanded, confiscating Lancelot's sword on his way out.

Gareth walked up to Lancelot's cell, hands gripped around the bars. "Psst, Lancelot." The gentle knight tried to catch his attention. "What's going on? You've been acting strange lately."

What started out a light chuckle turned into an insane laughter. The laughter echoed from within his cell to the underground hallways. The 1st knight continued 'til he noticed the 4th. "I'VE been acting strange?! You saw him... didn't you, Gareth, Galahad?" He smirked, manicial eyes glared. "The King is the one 'acting' strange. I'm only doing MY part."

"Stop this nonsense, Lancelot." The 5th knight intervened. "Talking in such way will resort to treason."

"Nonsense? Treason?" The 1st knight chuckled again. "What is treason? Betrayal to one's country? Wrong... I'm not betraying anyone. I WILL restore Camelot to its former glory... whether you help me or not." He raised his head to the 4th and 5th knights. "Now, tell me. Are you with me... or against me?"

---

KK: Not really much to say here, but my vacation is over. Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter. I support Silvaze.


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